Statistical averages

Overall

Fully evolved

Battle properties

Generation I

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

None

0×

Generation II onwards

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

0×

None

Characteristics

Defense

The defensive capabilities of Psychic-types are generally poor. The only types resisted by them are Fighting and themselves, while carrying weakness to Ghost as well as the extremely common Dark and Bug. Psychic-type Pokémon often fall to a single strong Dark-type move such as Crunch, due to the high Attack stat of many Dark-type Pokémon versus the typically low Defense and HP of Psychic-types. In addition, the low Defense many Psychics have frequently makes their Fighting resistance ineffective. Prior to Generation VI, Steel/Psychic types were exempt from these weaknesses due to their typing, but since Dark and Ghost are no longer resisted by Steel, this is no longer the case.

Most Psychic types have a high Special Defense stat, as well as outliers with high Defense and HP stats. Most Psychic-type Pokémon have access to stat-boosting moves which benefit both themselves and their teammates, giving them greater survivability.

Offense

Psychic-type Pokémon and moves have been very popular since Generation I, due to their typically high Special Attack plus being resisted by only two types including themselves. They are super-effective against the common Fighting and Poison types, the latter of which is otherwise strong defensively and the former of which tend to have low Special Defense.

The biggest drawback of Psychic-type moves is that they do not affect Dark-type Pokémon, although this weakness can be removed with Miracle Eye. However, this is not always necessary as many Psychic-type Pokémon can learn moves super-effective against Dark types such as strong Fighting type moves and Dazzling Gleam, a powerful Fairy-type move. Psychics also have access to a wide range of Special moves from nearly every type, which can make their Ghost and Bug weaknesses ineffective.

Contest properties

When used in Contests, Psychic-type moves are typically Clever moves, but can also be of the other four Contest types, excluding Tough.

Pokémon

As of Generation VI, there are 75 Psychic-type Pokémon or 10.2% of all Pokémon (counting forms and Mega Evolutions that change typing as different Pokémon), making it the 5th most common type.

The user focuses its willpower to its head and attacks the target. It may also make the target flinch.

All details are accurate to Generation VI games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left.

Abilities

Interacting with Psychic-type

User of Color Change will be changed into Psychic-type after it is hit with a Psychic-type move. Protean will change its user into Psychic-type when it uses a Psychic-type move. When a Pokémon with Multitype holds a Mind Plate, it will become a Psychic-type Pokémon. Zen Mode ability will change Darmanitan into its Zen Mode, which is a dual-type Fire/Psychic form. When a Pokémon with Imposter is sent out and its opposite opponent is Psychic-type, it will transform into that Pokémon and turn into Psychic-type.

Exclusive Abilities

All details are accurate to Generation VI games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual Ability's page.

Balance issues

Psychic-type Pokémon were at the center of a balance issue in the Generation I games.[1] The issue arose from the lack of an effective countermeasure against Psychic types caused by the absence of any powerful Bug-type moves (at the time the only weaknesses of Psychic types). Strengthening the gap was the fact that the only actual Bug-type Pokémon to know the only potentially good Bug move was also part Poison-type, creating a vulnerability to Psychic moves, and that in the first-generation games, Ghost-type moves were not only ineffective against Psychic Pokémon, the only Ghost Pokémon at the time were part-Poison, also creating a vulnerability, not to mention the fact that the only Ghost-type move that would be affected by type matchups at the time was exceedingly weak.

The issue was rectified in later generations with the addition of Steel and Dark types, an added weakness to Ghost-type moves, and more powerful Bug- and Ghost-type moves.

Trivia

Generation III introduced the most Psychic-type Pokémon of any generation, with 20, and Generation VI introduced the fewest Psychic-type Pokémon, with five.

Generation I introduced the most Psychic-type moves of any generation, with 15, and Generation VI did not introduce any Psychic-type moves.

The Psychic type is the only former special type to not have any of old moves changed into physical moves, while the Fighting type is the only former physical type to not have any of old moves changed into special moves.

References

↑ Sugimori, Ken "Psychic Pokémon seemed to dominate in the previous Pokémon game, so we needed to come up with new Pokémon and types to make Gold and Silver more balanced." Nintendo Power 134 (July 2000) p. 79 (retrieved August 16, 2010)